Establishment of the Fort Ross-Seaview Viticultural Area, 77684-77696 [2011-32016]

Agencies

• Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
• DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 77684-77696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32016]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

27 CFR Part 9

[Docket No. TTB-2011-0004; T.D. TTB-98; Re: Notice Nos. 34, 42, and 
117]
RIN 1513-AA64


Establishment of the Fort Ross-Seaview Viticultural Area

AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury.

ACTION: Final rule; Treasury decision.

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SUMMARY: This Treasury decision establishes the 27,500-acre ``Fort 
Ross-Seaview'' viticultural area in the western part of Sonoma County, 
California. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to 
better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to 
better identify wines they may purchase.

DATES: Effective Date: January 13, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elisabeth C. Kann, Regulations and 
Rulings Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, 1310 G St. 
NW., Room 200E, Washington, DC 20220; phone (202) 453-1039, ext. 002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background on Viticultural Areas

TTB Authority

    Section 105(e) of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (FAA Act), 
27 U.S.C. 205(e), authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe 
regulations for the labeling of wine, distilled spirits, and malt 
beverages. The FAA Act provides that these regulations should, among 
other things, prohibit consumer deception and the use of misleading 
statements on labels and ensure that labels provide the consumer with 
adequate information as to the identity and quality of the product. The 
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) administers the 
regulations promulgated under the FAA Act.
    Part 4 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 4) provides for the 
establishment of definitive viticultural areas and the use of their 
names as appellations of origin on wine labels and in wine 
advertisements. Part 9 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 9) sets 
forth standards for the preparation, submission, and approval of 
petitions for the establishment or modification of American 
viticultural areas and lists the approved American viticultural areas.

[[Page 77685]]

Definition

    Section 4.25(e)(1)(i) of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(1)(i)) 
defines a viticultural area for American wine as a delimited grape-
growing region having distinguishing features as described in part 9 of 
the regulations and a name and a delineated boundary as established in 
part 9 of the regulations. These designations allow vintners and 
consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other 
characteristic of a wine made from grapes grown in an area to its 
geographic origin. The establishment of viticultural areas allows 
vintners to describe more accurately the origin of their wines to 
consumers and helps consumers to identify wines they may purchase. 
Establishment of a viticultural area is neither an approval nor an 
endorsement by TTB of the wine produced in that area.

Requirements

    Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB regulations outlines the procedure 
for proposing the establishment of an American viticultural area and 
provides that any interested party may petition TTB to establish a 
grape-growing region as a viticultural area. Section 9.12 of the TTB 
regulations (27 CFR 9.12) prescribes standards for petitions for the 
establishment or modification of American viticultural areas. Such 
petitions must include the following:
     Evidence that the area within the viticultural area 
boundary is nationally or locally known by the viticultural area name 
specified in the petition;
     An explanation of the basis for defining the boundary of 
the viticultural area;
     A narrative description of the features of the 
viticultural area that affect viticulture, such as climate, geology, 
soils, physical features, and elevation, that make it distinctive and 
distinguish it from adjacent areas outside the viticultural area 
boundary;
     A copy of the appropriate United States Geological Survey 
(USGS) map(s) showing the location of the viticultural area, with the 
boundary of the viticultural area clearly drawn thereon; and
     A detailed narrative description of the viticultural area 
boundary based on USGS map markings.

The 2003 Fort Ross-Seaview Petition

    Patrick Shabram, on behalf of himself and David Hirsch of Hirsch 
Vineyards, submitted a petition in 2003 to establish the 27,500-acre 
Fort Ross-Seaview American viticultural area in the western part of 
Sonoma County, California (the Shabram-Hirsch petition). The Shabram-
Hirsch petition states that the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural 
area, which contains 18 commercial vineyards on 506 acres, lies close 
to the Pacific Ocean and about 65 miles north-northwest of San 
Francisco. It lies entirely within the Sonoma Coast viticultural area 
(27 CFR 9.116), which lies entirely within the multicounty North Coast 
viticultural area (27 CFR 9.30). The proposed viticultural area would 
not overlap, or otherwise affect, any other viticultural areas.

Name Evidence

    In 1812, Fort Ross was established by Russian fur trappers on a 
bluff, lying just west of the boundary of the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, according 
to the Shabram-Hirsch petition. The fort served as Russia's 
southernmost outpost in the Pacific Northwest until it was abandoned in 
1841. Since 1906, the site of the fort has been called the Fort Ross 
State Historic Park; a reconstructed fort now is open to the public. 
Seaview is a small, unincorporated community and real estate 
development located along the Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1) and 
located nearby and to the north of the park. Much of the Seaview 
community is located within the proposed viticultural area.
    Fort Ross Road winds through the southern portion of the proposed 
Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area, as shown on the 1978 USGS Fort 
Ross quadrangle map; also shown on the map are Seaview Cemetery and, 
extending northward in the proposed viticultural area, Seaview Road. 
The intersection of Fort Ross and Seaview Roads lies to the northeast 
of the Fort Ross State Historic Park (California State Automobile 
Association, ``Mendocino and Sonoma Coast'' map, October 2000), 
according to the Shabram-Hirsch petition.
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition states that the location of the 
proposed viticultural area is commonly called ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' by 
local grape growers. In a letter to Mr. Shabram explaining the origins 
and usage of the proposed ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' name, Daniel 
Schoenfeld, a grape grower and longtime resident, claimed that the Fort 
Ross-Seaview name identifies the proposed viticultural area and 
distinguishes the area from other geographic place names. Although all 
three names, ``Fort Ross,'' ``Seaview,'' and ``Fort Ross-Seaview,'' 
have been used to identify the area, Mr. Schoenfeld noted an increased 
incidence in use of the Fort Ross-Seaview name in recent years. For 
example, the land within and near the proposed viticultural area in the 
western part of Sonoma County has been called the ``Fort Ross-Seaview 
district'' (``A Miraculous Intersection: A Short History of Viticulture 
and Winegrowing in Western Sonoma County'' by Charles L. Sullivan, 
2001), according to the Shabram-Hirsch petition.

Boundary Evidence

    According to the Shabram-Hirsch petition, viticulture within the 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area dates to 1817, when 
Captain Leontii Andreianovich Hagemeister planted Peruvian grape 
cuttings at Fort Ross. In 1973, Michael Bohan planted two acres of 
grapes three miles east of Fort Ross, between Seaview Road and 
Creighton Ridge. In 1974, he planted another 15 acres, and, in 1976, he 
started selling his grape harvests to wineries in Sonoma and Santa Cruz 
Counties, California. In 1980, co-petitioner David Hirsch planted a 
vineyard between the 1,300- and 1,600-foot elevations in the Fort Ross-
Seaview area, according to his April 15, 2003 letter to Mr. Shabram 
that was submitted as a supplemental exhibit to the petition. The 
petition notes that, in spring 2003, the proposed viticultural area 
contained 18 commercial vineyards on 506 acres.
    According to the Shabram-Hirsch petition, the boundary of the 
proposed viticultural area generally incorporates most of the 
contiguous 920-foot elevation line. It also incorporates the ridges, 
hills, and mountains at higher elevations located along the Pacific 
coast near Fort Ross and Seaview in western Sonoma County. The 920-foot 
elevation line and the higher elevations separate the sunnier proposed 
viticultural area from the surrounding foggy areas, which are at lower 
elevations.
    The western portion of the boundary line of the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area is located between 0.5 and 2.5 miles from the 
Pacific coastline and mostly at or above the 920-foot elevation line, 
as shown on the USGS maps submitted with the Shabram-Hirsch petition. 
Coincidentally, the San Andreas Rift Zone runs generally parallel to 
and west of the western portion of the proposed boundary line and east 
of the Pacific coast, as shown on the USGS maps.
    In his 2003 letter, Mr. Hirsch also explained that, because coastal 
fog does not rise above the 920-foot elevation line, the proposed 
viticultural area receives more hours of solar radiation than the 
surrounding lower elevations,

[[Page 77686]]

which cannot support successful viticulture. ``During the summer, fog 
usually covers the Sonoma Coast during the morning and burns off about 
noon,'' he wrote. ``This marine fog layer seldom rises above 900 feet, 
which explains why there are no vineyards below this elevation in the 
proposed area.'' In addition, according to the Shabram-Hirsch petition, 
the moderating temperatures of the Pacific Ocean reduce the risk of 
nighttime freeze and frost within the proposed viticultural area.

Distinguishing Features

    The distinguishing features of the 27,500-acre proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area are topography, soils, and climate, according 
to the Shabram-Hirsch petition.
Topography
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition explains that vineyards within the 
proposed viticultural area are generally located on rounded ridges with 
summits extending above 1,200 feet. The USGS maps submitted with the 
petition show that the proposed viticultural area consists of steep, 
mountainous terrain made up of canyons, narrow valleys, ridges, and 
800- to 1,800-foot peaks. The area, mainly at elevations of between 920 
and 1,800 feet, has meandering, light-duty or unimproved roads and jeep 
trails and scattered creeks and ponds.
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition did not include a description of the 
topography in the surrounding areas.
Soils
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition states that the soils consist of 
Yorkville, Boomer, Sobrante, Laughlin, and many other soils within the 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area (Soil Survey of Sonoma 
County, California, issued by the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service, 1990, pp. 44 and 45). Hugo soils are common in the proposed 
Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area and in the mountain ranges of 
Sonoma County and Mendocino County to the north of the proposed 
viticultural area. Hugo soils are well drained, very gravelly loams 
derived from sandstone and shale (see publication cited above).
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition states that some soils in the proposed 
viticultural area derived from metamorphic rocks and, to a lesser 
extent, igneous rocks, but most soils derived from sedimentary rocks 
(untitled maps, by M.E. Huffman and C.F. Armstrong, California 
Department of Conservation Division of Mines and Geology, reprinted 
2000). The petition also states that the sedimentary rocks in the 
proposed viticultural area contrast with the relatively younger 
sedimentary rocks that are the parent material of the soils in the area 
to the west and that coincide with the San Andreas Rift Zone.
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition did not include any soils data for the 
surrounding areas, except for the area to the west mentioned above.
Climate
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition states that generally the proposed 
viticultural area is not directly affected by marine fog. In areas 
generally above 900 feet in elevation, the climate is influenced by 
longer periods of sunlight and is warmer than that in the surrounding 
land below 900 feet. The prevalence of marine fog below the 900-foot 
elevation line causes the surrounding, lower areas to be cooler and to 
have a shorter growing season than that in the proposed viticultural 
area.
    According to the Shabram-Hirsch petition, the coastal fog and its 
effects on agriculture were studied for more than 3 decades by Robert 
Sisson, former County Director and Farm Advisor for Sonoma County 
(``Guidelines for Assessing the Viticultural Potential of Sonoma 
County: An Analysis of the Physical Environment,'' M.A. thesis by Carol 
Ann Lawson, University of California, Davis, 1976). Mr. Sisson mapped 
the diverse climate of the lowermost, foggy coastal areas that surround 
some of the higher, sunnier elevations, according to the petition.
    TTB notes that the Sisson system of climatic classification takes 
into account the amount of time that a vine is actually exposed to a 
certain temperature. The system uses such terms as ``Coastal Cool'' and 
``Coastal Warm,'' which incorporate a method of heat summation that 
takes into account not only the highs and lows but the number of hours 
at which temperatures remain in the highly effective photosynthesis 
range of 70 to 90[emsp14][deg]F. ``Coastal Cool'' is designated as 
having a cumulative duration of less than 1,000 hours between 
70[emsp14][deg]F and 90[emsp14][deg]F in April through October.
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition states that the proposed viticultural 
area is ``Coastal Cool'' (``Climate Types of Sonoma County,'' map, 
Vassen, 1986). The area can support viticulture, in contrast to the 
surrounding, lower-elevation, cooler, less sunny, marine climatic areas 
that cannot sustain viticulture, according to the petition.
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition also states that the proposed Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area is in the heaviest fog intrusion area, 
spanning the entire coast of Sonoma County (``Lines of Heaviest and 
Average Maximum Fog Intrusion for Sonoma County,'' map, by Carol Ann 
Lawson, 1976). However, TTB notes that this map does not detail the 
heavy fog line from the contrasting warmer and sunnier microclimates at 
higher elevations, such as that which exists in the proposed 
viticultural area.
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition states that the water temperature of 
the ocean off the Pacific coast to the west of the proposed 
viticultural area rarely rises above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. From mid-
spring to fall, a fogbank is created offshore that moves inland through 
low-elevation mountain gaps and valleys. The fog, rarely rising above 
the 900-foot elevation line, cools temperatures on shore and reduces 
sunshine in the early mornings and late afternoons at elevations of 900 
feet or less. Consequently, the proposed viticultural area, which lies 
mainly between the 920- and 1,800-foot elevation lines, receives less 
fog and more sun during the growing season than the surrounding, lower 
areas.
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition compares the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area to the southwestern portion of the Sonoma Coast and 
nearby Russian River Valley viticultural areas. Those areas, to the 
southwest and to the northeast, respectively, have cool and 
comparatively less sunny climates because they generally receive marine 
fog and do not lie above the fog line.
    The Shabram-Hirsch petition states that temperatures are roughly 
comparable during the coolest part of the year at Fort Ross State 
Historic Park at the 112-foot elevation level, just west of the 
proposed boundary, and at Campmeeting Ridge in Seaview at the 1,220-
foot elevation level, located within the proposed viticultural area 
(``Unique Climatic and Environmental Characteristics of the Proposed 
Fort Ross-Seaview Viticultural Area,'' 2001, by Patrick L. Shabram). 
However, daily high temperatures during the growing season May through 
October and daily low temperatures in June and from August through 
October are warmer on the ridge than at the park, according to the 
petition. Significant growing season temperature variations occur at 
points between these lower and higher elevations (see publication cited 
above).

Notices of Proposed Rulemaking and Comments Received

    TTB published Notice No. 34 regarding the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area in the Federal Register on March 8, 2005 (70 
FR 11174). In Notice No. 34, TTB invited

[[Page 77687]]

comments from all interested members of the public on or before May 9, 
2005. In response to a request from an industry member, TTB 
subsequently extended the comment period of Notice No. 34 from May 12, 
2005 until June 8, 2005 (see Notice No. 42, published in the Federal 
Register at 70 FR 25000 (May 12, 2005)).
    In Notice No. 34, TTB specifically invited comments regarding 
whether ``Ft. Ross-Seaview,'' ``Fort Ross,'' ``Ft. Ross,'' and 
``Seaview'' should be designated as terms of viticultural significance 
in addition to the full ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' name. TTB also solicited 
comments on the sufficiency and accuracy of the name, boundary, 
climatic, and other required information submitted in support of the 
petition.

Comments Received in Response to Notice No. 34

    TTB received seven comments in response to Notice No. 34. Two 
comments support the petition without qualification, and a third 
commenter supports the proposed viticultural area but expressed concern 
about a potential conflict with his brand name if ``Fort Ross'' or Ft. 
Ross'' alone are designated as terms of viticultural significance. Four 
additional comments oppose the petition on the ground that the proposed 
boundary line excludes a region to the north that the commenters 
contend has similar geographical features as the petitioned-for 
viticultural area.
    The commenters in support of Notice No. 34 include co-petitioner 
David Hirsch, of Hirsch Vineyards, who has been growing wine grapes at 
a vineyard at an elevation of 1,500 feet in the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area since 1980. In comment 2, Mr. Hirsch explains 
the importance of the area's marine-influenced climate, soils, and 
topography in producing premium grapes in the region. In comment 4, two 
local grape-growers that have been operating their vineyard on a 1,500-
foot elevation ridgetop in the proposed viticultural area since 1982 
explain that grape growing is part of the heritage of the Fort Ross-
Seaview region. Both comments 2 and 4 emphasize that the establishment 
of the proposed viticultural area would help consumers identify wines 
made from grapes grown in the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural 
area.
    In addition, in comment 3, a local vineyard and winery owner 
generally supports the establishment of the proposed viticultural area, 
but the owner opposes the designation of ``Fort Ross'' and ``Ft. Ross'' 
as viticulturally significant terms because it would create a conflict 
with the owner's trademarked ``Fort Ross Winery'' and ``Fort Ross 
Vineyard'' names, which the owner states would cause irreparable 
economic hardship and potentially cause consumer confusion.
    Four additional comments, Nos. 1, 5, 6, and 7, oppose Notice No. 34 
based on the proposed boundary line and propose an alternate boundary 
line that would include an additional area to the north. According to 
the four opposing commenters, all of whom own vineyards and/or wineries 
in the area to the north of the proposed viticultural area (the 
Northern Commenters), the vineyards in that area have the same 
distinguishing features and characteristics as the vineyards located 
within the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area to the south. 
The Northern Commenters contend that the northern portion of the 
proposed boundary line should extend northward to Buckeye Creek, which 
would include a region generally referred to as the ``Annapolis area.'' 
In addition, two of the Northern Commenters also express concern about 
the use of the ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' name, explaining that the ``Fort 
Ross'' name is used by the Fort Ross Winery and that the ``Seaview'' 
name is used by an Australian sparkling wine bottler.
    In comment 5, one of the Northern Commenters suggested that TTB 
delay establishing the Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area to allow the 
growers in the northern area the opportunity to gather and submit 
documentation supporting a northern expansion of the 27,500-acre 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area (the Northern Addition). 
TTB agreed to a delay, and on November 11, 2005, the Northern 
Commenters submitted a petition, USGS maps, and a written boundary 
description for a proposed expansion of the 27,500-acre proposed Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area to include the Northern Addition (the 
Northern Addition petition).

The Northern Addition Petition

    In the Northern Addition petition, the Northern Commenters 
petitioned for a 15,726-acre expansion of the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area, which included 28 commercial vineyards on 
about 900 acres as of November 11, 2005. The documentation included a 
narrative explaining the basis for the proposal as well as supporting 
evidence relating to the historic name usage and distinguishing 
features of the Northern Addition. According to the Northern Addition 
petition, the Northern Addition is well-suited for commercial 
viticulture because the area vineyards, which are located at inland 
elevations between 700 and 900 feet, are protected from marine fog 
intrusion by parallel coastal ridges at elevations of 920 feet or 
higher. The coastal ridges effectively buffer the cooling fog of the 
Pacific Ocean from inland vineyards, according to the Northern Addition 
petition.
    Name Evidence: The Northern Addition petition states that, since 
the Russian occupation of northern California, the ``Fort Ross'' name 
has continuously been used to identify the Sonoma County coastline 
north of the Russian River (including the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area and the proposed Northern Addition).
    Citing historical evidence relating to the Russian occupation's 
effect on native populations in the early and mid-1800s and the 
development of the area surrounding Fort Ross by George Washington Call 
in the mid-1870s, the Northern Addition petition contends that the 
historically-recognized ``Fort Ross Region'' extends northward from the 
Russian River to approximately the Gualala River and six to nine miles 
inland from the Pacific coastline, and that region includes the 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area as well as the proposed 
Northern Addition (``The Archeology and Ethnohistory of Fort Ross, 
California,'' by Kent G. Lightfoot, Thomas A. Wake, and Ann M. Schiff, 
Archaeological Research Facility, University of California at Berkeley, 
1991). The Northern Addition petition further notes that the natural 
environment of the ``Fort Ross Region'' extends, south to north, from 
the small coastal town of Jenner, located at the mouth of the Russian 
River, to the town of Gualala, located at the mouth of the Gualala 
River.
    The Northern Addition petition adds that the ``Seaview'' 
geographical place name identifies the tiny coastal community of 
Seaview and Seaview Road, which the Northern Addition petition notes is 
``some distance'' from the vineyards in the Northern Addition. The 
Northern Addition petition points out, however, that some vineyards in 
the 27,500-acre proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area are also 
located at similar distances from the Seaview community.
    Given the distance of the Northern Addition from the Seaview 
community, the Northern Commenters proposed that the ``Fort Ross'' 
portion of the proposed viticultural area name be modified by an 
alternative geographical place name in lieu of ``Seaview'' that would 
better describe the proposed viticultural area with the 15,726-acre 
Northern Addition, such as ``Stewarts Point'' or ``Annapolis.'' TTB 
notes that ``Stewarts

[[Page 77688]]

Point'' and ``Annapolis'' are geographical place names that refer to 
areas located in or near the Northern Addition and are outside the 
boundary line of the 27,500-acre proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area. Alternatively, the Northern Commenters suggested 
adding ``Region'' to the ``Fort Ross'' name or combining ``Fort Ross'' 
with ``Sonoma Coast'' or ``Northern Sonoma Coast.''
    Boundary Evidence: According to the Northern Addition petition, the 
proposed boundary line expansion is based on the geographical features 
of the 15,726-acre Northern Addition, which are similar to the 
distinguishing geographical features of the proposed 27,500-acre Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area.
    The Northern Addition petition explains that the western portion of 
the boundary line for the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area 
would combine with the western portion of the proposed boundary line 
for the Northern Addition. The combined boundary line follows a high-
elevation ridgeline that limits the inland intrusion of cooling marine 
fog off the Pacific Ocean. The northernmost portion of the proposed 
boundary line for the Northern Addition parallels the 600- to 400-foot 
elevations in the area of Buckeye Creek, a tributary of the South Fork 
of the Gualala River, as shown on USGS maps. The Northern Addition 
petition states that Buckeye Creek forms a natural boundary line 
between higher elevation areas to the south and north. The eastern 
portion of the proposed boundary line for the Northern Addition follows 
a 600-foot elevation line and roads on ridgelines between the generally 
mountainous coastal terrain and the very rugged interior mountains to 
the east. To the southeast, the proposed boundary line for the Northern 
Addition joins with the northeastern portion of the boundary line of 
the 27,500-acre proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area, according 
to the Northern Addition petition.
    Distinguishing Features: The Northern Addition petition contends 
that the proposed Northern Addition shares the same distinguishing 
features of topography, climate, and soils as the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area.
    Topography: The Northern Addition petition states that the 
topography is similar in both the 27,500-acre proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area and the Northern Addition. According to the 
Northern Addition petition, the topography of the proposed Northern 
Addition consists of steep mountains with 5 to 70 percent slopes, 
1,500-foot ridgetops, and valleys. In addition, the first ridgeline 
inland from the Pacific Ocean, which buffers coastal fog, forms the 
western portion of the boundary line of both the 27,500-acre proposed 
Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area and the proposed Northern Addition, 
according to the boundary descriptions.
    Climate: The Northern Addition petition asserts that the 27,500-
acre proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area and the proposed 
Northern Addition share a similar climate, which is the primary 
defining feature of the area according to the Northern Commenters.
    The Northern Addition petition compares the data on average annual 
heat accumulation, measured in growing degree days \1\ (GDD), for three 
vineyards in the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area to 
similar data for a vineyard located in the proposed Northern Addition. 
The data for the three vineyards in the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area originated from the Shabram-Hirsch petition. 
According to the data, which is summarized in the below table, all of 
the vineyards are located in Winkler climatic region II, which has 
2,501-3,000 GDDs per year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ In the Winkler climatic classification system, annual heat 
accumulation during the growing season, measured in annual GDD, 
defines climatic regions. One GDD accumulates for each degree 
Fahrenheit that a day's mean temperature is above 50 degrees, the 
minimum temperature required for grapevine growth. Climatic region I 
has less than 2,500 GDD per year; region II, 2,501 to 3,000; region 
III, 3,001 to 3,500; region IV, 3,501 to 4,000; and region V, 4,001 
or more (``General Viticulture,'' by Albert J. Winkler, University 
of California Press, 1974, pages 61-64).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         Average annual
           Vineyard                    Location            degree days
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jordan........................  27,500-acre proposed               2,605
                                 Fort Ross-Seaview
                                 viticultural area.
Campmeeting Ridge.............  27,500-acre proposed               2,615
                                 Fort Ross-Seaview
                                 viticultural area.
Nobles........................  27,500-acre proposed               2,580
                                 Fort Ross-Seaview
                                 viticultural area.
La Crema......................  Northern Addition.....             2,580
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, according to the Northern Addition petition and the 
above data, all four vineyards have a Coastal Cool climate using the 
Sisson system of climactic classification cited in the Shabram-Hirsch 
petition, in which areas with degree day accumulations in the higher 
Region I or lower Region II range are considered to be Coastal Cool.
    According to the Northern Addition petition, a map submitted with 
the Shabram-Hirsch petition that is based on Sisson's research also 
shows that all of the vineyards in the proposed Northern Addition are 
located within the Coastal Cool classification, including the lower 
560- to 890-foot elevations of the vineyards in the Northern Addition 
(Vassen, ``Climate Types of Sonoma County Map,'' 1986). The Northern 
Addition petition contends that the Marine Cold and Coastal Cool 
climate classifications are not rigidly divided at the 900-foot 
elevation line, and that the vineyards at the lower, 560- to 890-foot 
elevations in the proposed Northern Addition receive adequate solar 
radiation for grape ripening because they are surrounded by a higher 
elevation ridge to the west that decreases the frequency of fog 
intrusion and its concomitant cooling effects.
    The Northern Addition petition also provides a comparison of 
growing season temperatures for Fort Ross State Historic Park (located 
at the 112-foot elevation to the west of the proposed viticultural 
area) and La Crema Vineyard (located in the proposed Northern Addition) 
to establish that both the Northern Addition and the proposed Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area have warmer temperatures during the 
growing season as compared to the coastal, lower elevation Fort Ross 
State Historic Park. As with the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area, the data show that the Northern Addition has average 
temperatures that are roughly comparable to those at Fort Ross State 
Historic Park when little fog occurs during the coolest part of the 
year and in the evenings during the growing season. By contrast, and 
similar to the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area, the 
Northern Addition has daytime high temperatures during the growing 
season that are significantly higher than the growing season daytime 
high

[[Page 77689]]

temperatures at Fort Ross State Historic Park. The Northern Addition 
petitioners attribute these significantly higher temperatures to the 
warming effect of solar radiation during the daytime that is similar to 
the growing season warming that occurs in the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area.
    The Northern Addition petition explains that the terrain of the 
region contributes to its distinctive climate because the high 
elevation ridge along the Pacific coastline blocks or slows the 
intrusion of marine fog currents flowing inland. According to the 
Northern Addition petition, the growing season climate of the proposed 
Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area and the Northern Addition are 
similar because they both are affected by the fog-buffering caused by 
the coastal ridges and hills along the northernmost portions of the 
Sonoma Coast viticultural area. The Northern Addition petition further 
notes that the mountainous terrain in the region causes nighttime cool 
air to drain from the surrounding ridges and hillsides to the lower 
elevations, thereby extending the growing season on the higher ridges 
and hillsides and reducing the risk of springtime frost in both the 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area and the proposed Northern 
Addition.
    Soils: The Northern Addition petition states that the soils in both 
the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area and the proposed 
Northern Addition are varied, well drained, and nonalluvial (Soil 
Survey of Sonoma County, California, 1972, issued by the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service). 
Goldridge, Yorkville, Josephine, and Laughlin soils are common in both 
areas, and Hugo soils make up 54 percent of the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area and 45 percent of the proposed Northern 
Addition (see publication cited above), according to the Northern 
Addition petition.

Shabram Response to the Northern Addition Petition

    Following the submission of the Northern Addition petition, Patrick 
Shabram, co-author of the Shabram-Hirsch petition, submitted additional 
documentation to support the establishment of the 27,500-acre Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area as originally proposed (the Shabram 
response).
    As a general matter, the Shabram response emphasizes that the 
Northern Addition area, which is known as the Annapolis region, is a 
grape growing area distinct and separate from the petitioned-for Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area, notwithstanding some similar 
characteristics. The Shabram response further contends that the 
arguments presented in favor of the Northern Addition, especially the 
argument premised on the similar Coastal Cool climate classification in 
both regions, are equally applicable to other nearby California coastal 
regions. Accordingly, the Shabram response argues that an expansion of 
the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area based on the grounds 
stated in the Northern Addition petition would warrant a larger 
expansion into other neighboring regions, including the established 
Mendocino Ridge viticultural area (27 CFR 9.158) to the north, 
established by T.D. ATF-392 (published in the Federal Register at 62 FR 
55512 (October 27, 1997)), and the proposed Freestone-Occidental 
viticultural area (a petition under TTB review) to the south, both of 
which generally share a similar Coastal Cool climate as a result of 
coastal fog and have some similar soil types. Such an expansion would 
create a larger, regional viticultural area more akin to the 
established Sonoma Coast viticultural area as compared to the smaller, 
local viticultural area that was sought by the Fort Ross-Seaview 
petitioners.
    Name Evidence: The Shabram response states that the ``Fort Ross-
Seaview'' name is not associated with the Northern Addition area, and 
it argues that use of the name to identify the viticulture of the 
Northern Addition would be confusing to consumers. According to the 
Shabram response, the Northern Addition area is instead recognized as a 
separate geographical region known as ``Annapolis,'' which is the 
reason why the area was not considered for inclusion when the Fort 
Ross-Seaview growers first considered petitioning for a viticultural 
area. The Shabram response notes that the Northern Addition 
petitioners' proposed amendment of the ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' name to 
either ``Fort Ross-Annapolis'' or ``Sonoma Coast Mountains'' for the 
proposed expanded viticultural area (including the Northern Addition) 
shows that the name lacks significance in the Annapolis area.
    As explained in the Shabram response, the Fort Ross-Seaview 
vineyard owners considered various other potential names when 
discussing the best geographical name for their proposed viticultural 
area, including but not limited to Fort Ross, Fort Ross Ridges, 
Seaview, and Seaview Ridges (``California's New Frontier,'' by Steve 
Heimoff, ``Wine Enthusiast,'' July 2001). According to the Shabram 
response, the area vineyard owners ultimately agreed that the area is 
called both the ``Fort Ross area'' and the ``Seaview area,'' and that 
both names are significant to local viticulture (see publication cited 
above), resulting in the proposed ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' name.
    In further support of the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview name, the 
Shabram response quotes two Fort Ross vineyard owners regarding the 
significance of the name. One area grower, Lester Schwartz, stated in a 
supplemental exhibit to the petition that ``[t]he petitioners chose 
`Fort Ross-Seaview' because that is what locals call the area which 
produces fine grapes and wine'' (Schwartz letter to TTB, dated May 4, 
2005). Another local grower, Daniel Schoenfeld, stated in his 2004 
letter to Mr. Shabram about the ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' name that ``[t]he 
region that constitutes the proposed AVA is known as the `Fort Ross' 
area, as the `Seaview' area, and as the `Fort Ross-Seaview' area. All 
three names have been used interchangeably to describe the area. `Fort 
Ross-Seaview' has been used for a number of years in verbal 
communication to eliminate confusion associated with the different 
names'' (in conversation with TTB personnel, May 18, 2004).
    The Shabram response further states that writers consistently do 
not include the Northern Addition (or Annapolis) region when referring 
to the Fort Ross-Seaview area, or vice versa. As noted in the 
discussion of the Shabram-Hirsch petition above, Charles Sullivan used 
the ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' name to refer to the area, which was before 
the local growers reached a consensus on the name of the proposed 
viticultural area, and the Shabram Response notes that Mr. Sullivan 
does not mention Annapolis or the Northern Addition when discussing 
Fort Ross-Seaview viticulture. In addition, the Shabram response points 
out that the Friends of the Gualala River Web site (available at https://gualalariver.org/) has a map that shows the location of local 
Annapolis vineyards, but it does not include the vineyards in the 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area to the south.
    The Shabram response also notes that the location of the vineyards 
of two of the Northern Addition petitioners, Brice Jones and Don 
Hartford, has been referred to as ``Annapolis'' rather than ``Fort 
Ross-Seaview'': Mr. Jones was described as an ``Annapolis vintner'' in 
a news article (``Brice Jones, Artesa Open Routes Across Land for 
Animals: Annapolis Winegrowers to Establish Wildlife Corridors,'' by 
Carol Benfell, [Santa Rosa] Press Democrat, September 11, 2001); and 
the Hartford Family

[[Page 77690]]

Winery notes that the Lands Edge Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir ``is sourced 
predominantly from our estate's Annapolis vineyard'' (https://www.hartfordwines.com/wines/pinotnoir/landsedge.html).
    Boundary Evidence: The Shabram response contends that there are 
three geographically distinctive viticultural areas in coastal Sonoma 
County: Annapolis (north), Fort Ross-Seaview (middle), and Freestone-
Occidental (south).
    As stated in ``A Wine Journey along the Russian River,'' a source 
cited in the Shabram response, Sonoma County coastal viticulture ``is 
clustered in three areas close to the shore: Annapolis up north, near 
the Mendocino County line; Fort Ross in the center; and (merging these 
two areas into one) Occidental Ridges and Freestone, to the south 
(which some people refer to as the Bodega plantings)'' (Steve Heimoff, 
University of California Press, 2005, pages 234-5). The Shabram 
response also refers to a map that depicts the separate vineyard 
clusters in the Annapolis, Fort Ross-Seaview, and Freestone-Occidental 
areas (``Sonoma Coast,'' map no. 11, in ``North American Pinot Noir,'' 
by John Winthrop Haeger, University of California Press, 2004) and 
notes that none of the Fort Ross-Seaview wine growers that Mr. Heimoff 
specifically names in his book are located in the Annapolis area of the 
map.
    The Shabram response explains that the Fort Ross-Seaview vineyards 
are clustered together along several higher ridges in close proximity 
to the Pacific Ocean, unlike the vineyards generally clustered at the 
lower elevations further inland around the town of Annapolis to the 
north. The Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River is located between the 
two clusters of vineyards on the ridges, and the area adjacent to the 
Fork is characterized by fog intrusion and a steep valley that drops to 
an elevation of 160 feet. Commercial viticulture is difficult, if not 
impossible, in the area adjacent to the Wheatfield Fork because of the 
fog and the steep terrain, according to the Shabram response.
    The Shabram response also states that the Annapolis area consists 
of the ridges surrounding the Wheatfield Fork and Buckeye and 
Grasshopper Creeks (located in the proposed Northern Addition). By 
contrast, the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area is located 
to the south of the Annapolis area and consists of a series of ridges 
that are separated from the surrounding areas by the Wheatfield Fork 
and the South Fork of the Gualala River and tributary creeks (``North 
American Pinot Noir,'' page 92). The Shabram response states that 
further south, the Freestone-Occidental area contains ridges that are 
separated from one another by tributaries of Salmon Creek (see 
publication cited above). The Shabram response also notes that, in the 
Northern Addition, the vineyard closest to the northernmost vineyard in 
the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area is approximately 3.5 
miles away (measured in a straight line), whereas all of the vineyards 
within the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area are located 
within an approximately 10 mile stretch, with no vineyard more than 1.5 
miles away from another vineyard.
    Distinguishing Features: The Shabram response states that subtle 
climatic and geographic differences exist between the Annapolis and 
Fort Ross-Seaview regions. Although both areas broadly share a Coastal 
Cool climate classification, the Shabram response explains that there 
are differences in the nature of the coastal cooling in each area, 
which are largely based on the higher elevations of vineyards in the 
Fort Ross-Seaview area as compared to those in the Annapolis area. As a 
result, each area receives different amounts of total solar radiation, 
which in turn affects the ripening times for grapes in those areas, 
according to the Shabram response.
    The Shabram response states that vineyards in the proposed Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area are located at high elevations above the 
fog line, so they receive a full day of solar radiation. David Hirsch, 
Joan and Walt Flowers, and Daniel Schoenfeld, all local growers in the 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area, attested to Mr. Shabram 
and to Wine News magazine (Jeff Cox, ``Cool Climate Pioneers--Sonoma's 
Ridgetop Winegrowers Scale New Heights,'' Wine News, August/September 
2002) that foggy conditions transition to clear skies beginning at the 
900-foot elevations of the Fort Ross-Seaview area. Although the 900-
foot elevation line does not mark an absolute break in the fog, it is 
the best available evidence of a fog ceiling, according to the Shabram 
response.
    Further, the Shabram response states that, although the convection 
and conduction of fog from the Pacific Ocean cool both the Annapolis 
and Fort Ross-Seaview areas, the vineyards in the Annapolis area are 
cooler because they are situated at lower elevations, where partial fog 
reduces total solar radiation, despite the presence of a ridgeline to 
the west that buffers the fog. For example, the Shabram response quotes 
a description of Peay Vineyards (located in the Northern Addition), in 
which it is described as sitting ``on a hilltop that is not way up in 
the air, but just at the top of the fog level, low enough to be very 
cool, but high enough not to be too cool and wet for grapes'' (https://www.peayvineyards.com/). [TTB notes that Peay Vineyards is located at 
an elevation of approximately 755 feet, as shown on a topographical map 
provided by the Northern Commenters.] By comparison, the vineyards in 
the Fort Ross-Seaview area typically are located at higher elevations 
that are above the fog inversion layer, so they are therefore less 
cooled by fog and receive greater solar radiation warming while still 
receiving some cooling via conduction due to the close proximity of the 
fog layer, according to the Shabram response.
    The Shabram response also provides a statement from Vanessa Wong, a 
grape grower and winemaker at Peay Vineyards who has worked with 
vineyards located in both the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural 
area and the Northern Addition for the past nine vintages and has also 
made wines from grapes grown in both areas. Ms. Wong explains that the 
inversion layer of cool ocean fog persists throughout the day in her 
vineyards in the Northern Addition. According to Ms. Wong, coastal 
breezes blow cool air along unobstructed land between sea level and 
1,000 feet in altitude, which is the mean top of the inversion layer. 
By contrast, vineyards located above the much cooler inversion layer--
including vineyards located along the Fort Ross-Seaview ridges and 
areas further inland--have warmer temperatures.
    Ms. Wong further states that grape maturity dates differ 
significantly between vineyards in the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area and those in the Northern Addition. According to Ms. 
Wong, for the same vintage and grape variety, the harvest dates in the 
Northern Addition are consistently later than those in proposed Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area, adding that ripening generally occurs 
10 to 14 days earlier in the Fort Ross-Seaview area than at the lower-
elevation Peay Vineyards. Ms. Wong attributes the later ripening in the 
Annapolis area to the cooler temperatures in that region: ``I believe 
that the pick dates for the Annapolis area are later than those of the 
Fort Ross-Seaview area because the Annapolis area is cooler than the 
Fort Ross-Seaview area.''
    The following table, which was provided by Ms. Wong, illustrates 
the difference in pick dates between the Fort Ross-Seaview and 
Annapolis areas and shows that, for the years that Ms.

[[Page 77691]]

Wong provided data, the pick dates of the vineyards in the proposed 
Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area are significantly earlier than 
those of the vineyards in the Northern Addition area:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Pick date
           Variety               Fort Ross-        Pick date        Annapolis        Pick date      difference
                              Seaview Vineyard                      Vineyard                          (days)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pinot Noir-Pommard..........  Hirsch..........         9/12/02  Peay............         9/23/02              11
Chardonnay..................  Hirsch..........         9/29/06  Peay............         10/9/06              11
Pinot Noir 777..............  Nobles..........          9/4/09  Peay............         9/18/09              14
Chardonnay..................  Hirsch..........         9/10/09  Peay............         10/6/09              26
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Determination To Reopen Public Comment Period

    Given the conflicting evidence provided by the original petitioner 
and by the Northern Commenters with respect to the distinguishing 
features and boundary line of the proposed viticultural area, as well 
as the length of time that had elapsed since TTB published Notice No. 
34 and solicited public comments on the proposed establishment of the 
Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area, TTB determined that it was 
appropriate to reopen the comment period for Notice No. 34 before 
taking any final action regarding the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area.
    Accordingly, TTB reopened the comment period for Notice No. 34 for 
an additional 45 days on April 21, 2011, with comments due on or before 
June 6, 2011 (see Notice No. 117, published in the Federal Register at 
76 FR 22338). Notice No. 117 did not contain the details of the 
northern expansion documentation (referred to here as the ``Northern 
Addition petition'') or of the Shabram response due to the length of 
those documents, but TTB informed the public in Notice No. 117 that 
those documents, as well as the original Shabram-Hirsch petition, 
Notice No. 34, and the original comments received in response to Notice 
No. 34, were posted for public viewing on Regulations.gov, the Federal 
e-rulemaking portal.
    In Notice No. 117, TTB specifically invited comments on the 
following issues: (1) Whether TTB should establish the proposed ``Fort 
Ross-Seaview'' viticultural area; (2) the sufficiency and accuracy of 
the proposed viticultural area's name, ``Fort Ross-Seaview,'' including 
comments on the name's applicability to the proposed Northern Addition 
and any alternative names for the proposed viticultural area and the 
Northern Addition area; and (3) the appropriateness of the proposed 
viticultural area's boundary line and whether the proposed viticultural 
area is limited to the area within the boundary line described in 
Notice No. 34 or if it also extends further to the north as stated by 
the Northern Commenters.

Comments Received in Response to Notice No. 117

    TTB received three comments in response to Notice No. 117, all 
strongly supporting the establishment of the Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area as proposed in Notice No. 34. Two of the comments, 
Nos. 8 and 9, were submitted by local growers who had previously 
submitted supporting comments in response to Notice No. 34, Lester 
Schwartz of Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery LLC and David Hirsch, 
respectively; the third comment, No. 10, was submitted by Patrick 
Shabram. There were no comments submitted by the Northern Commenters in 
response to Notice No. 117.
    The supporting comments state their opposition to the proposed 
Northern Addition based on the distinctiveness of the proposed Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area and their contention that the Northern 
Addition (or the Annapolis area) is a separate, viticulturally distinct 
area. Comment 9 specifically notes the proposed viticultural area's 
distinctiveness based on its location, soils, and climate, stating that 
the area's climate is influenced by its close proximity to the ocean as 
well as its altitude. In comment 10, Patrick Shabram reiterates his 
prior contention that the main distinction between the proposed 
viticultural area and the Northern Addition is that the vineyards 
located within the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area are 
located above or in close proximity to the intruding coastal fog, as 
compared to the Northern Addition vineyards, which are typically below 
the fog line. Mr. Shabram adds that various local grape growers have 
attested to the fact that vineyards within the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area are located above the fog, an assertion that 
Mr. Shabram notes has not been disputed by any growers inside or 
outside of the proposed viticultural area.
    In support of the argument that the Northern Addition is a unique 
area that is separate and viticulturally distinct from the proposed 
Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area, comments 8 and 10 refer to recent 
articles that recognize that the Fort Ross-Seaview and Annapolis areas 
are separate grape-growing areas with different climates within the 
larger Sonoma Coast region. For example, both comments quote an August 
2, 2010 article by Eric Asimov, the chief wine critic for the New York 
Times, that discusses the diversity within the large Sonoma Coast 
viticultural area, stating that ``[e]ven along the narrow swath of land 
close to the coast, numerous microclimates emerge, making vineyards 
around Annapolis to the north very different from vineyards on the 
ridges above Fort Ross in the appellation's western midsection, not to 
mention those to the south near Freestone and Occidental'' (Eric 
Asimov, ``The Evolution of Sonoma Coast Chardonnay,'' The New York 
Times, August 2, 2010).
    Comment 10 also quotes an April 27, 2011 article from the Santa 
Rosa Press Democrat that similarly identifies the same ``three 
particular coastal areas'' of the Sonoma Coast and distinguishes the 
Annapolis area from the area to its immediate south (the location of 
the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area) based on the 
Annapolis area's lower elevation ridges and its location five to six 
miles inland from the Pacific Ocean (Virginia Boone, ``Wine Way Out 
West,'' Santa Rosa Press Democrat, April 27, 2011).
    In addition, comments 8 and 10 quote a 2009 article by the wine 
editor of the San Francisco Chronicle that names Peay Vineyards as its 
Winery of the Year and describes the cooler climate in the Annapolis 
area as compared to the warmer vineyards to the south (within the 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area), which are located closer 
to the coast but above the inversion layer: ``Even by Sonoma Coast 
standards, Peay occupies a chilly slice of the world. While vineyards 
just to the south like Hirsch * * * or Flowers * * * may sit closer to 
the coast, they're above the inversion layer. The site in Annapolis is 
lower, between 600 and 800 feet, with colder temperatures'' (Jon Bonne, 
``Winery of the Year: Peay

[[Page 77692]]

Vineyards,'' San Francisco Chronicle, December 27, 2009).
    In another article about Peay that is quoted in comments 8 and 10, 
Randy Caparoso of Sommelier Journal recounted Nick Peay's description 
of the distinctiveness of the Annapolis area as contrasted to the Fort 
Ross-Seaview area to the south:

    Peay attributes the tightly wound characteristics of Annapolis 
to the macroclimate, with temperatures typically ranging in the 60s 
and 70s during the growing season--as frigid as it gets in the 
entire county. As in Fort Ross-Seaview, days are moderated by the 
ocean, only 4 miles away, and nights are never too cold. But unlike 
Fort Ross-Seaview, he says, the lower-elevation growths near 
Annapolis are influenced by ``unobstructed fog coming straight up 
the river valley each day. We are in the inversion layer, not above 
it'' (Randy Caparoso, ``Sonoma Extreme,'' Sommelier Journal, January 
31, 2011, pp. 70-80) (emphasis in original).

    According to comment 10, Greg LaFollette, a winemaker who has 
worked with grape growers in various coastal Sonoma locations 
(including Fort Ross-Seaview), is quoted in that same article as 
stating that he ``always experienced much higher degree-day 
accumulation [in Fort Ross-Seaview]''.
    Comments 8 and 10 also cite the lack of evidence demonstrating that 
the ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' name applies to the Northern Addition area as 
an additional reason for establishing the petitioned-for viticultural 
area as proposed in Notice No. 34. In comment 10, Patrick Shabram 
refers to his earlier argument from the Shabram response that the names 
``Fort Ross,'' ``Seaview,'' or ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' lack viticultural 
significance in relation to the Northern Addition area, which is 
instead known as the ``Annapolis area.'' Noting that he was unable to 
find any reference to the Annapolis area as ``Fort Ross,'' Mr. Shabram 
states that a number of recent news articles refer to the Northern 
Addition area as ``Annapolis'' in conjunction with other sub-regions of 
the west Sonoma Coast region, including Fort-Ross Seaview and 
Freestone-Occidental, further underscoring his contention that the 
``Fort Ross'' name is not used in conjunction with the proposed 
Northern Addition.

TTB Analysis

    TTB has carefully considered the comments received in response to 
Notice Nos. 34 and 117 and has reviewed all petition evidence and 
subsequent documentation received in support of, or in opposition to, 
the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area, including all 
comments and documentation relating to the proposed Northern Addition.

Name Evidence

    The evidence submitted both by the Northern Commenters and by Mr. 
Shabram raised significant questions regarding whether the ``Fort Ross-
Seaview'' name is applicable to the proposed Northern Addition.
    Based on TTB's review of the evidence provided by the Northern 
Commenters to support their assertion that the ``Fort Ross'' and ``Fort 
Ross Region'' names are used in connection with the Northern Addition 
area, it appears that this use of these names reflects very limited 
historic name usage during the Russian occupation only (1812-41); the 
evidence provided does not include more recent references to the area 
by those names. Regarding the archaeology and ethnohistory study of the 
Russian occupation of the Fort Ross area that the Northern Addition 
petition cites for a historical perspective of the occupation's effect 
on native populations, TTB notes that the study details the historic 
boundaries of the occupation, but not the current boundary lines of the 
Fort Ross geographical area.
    By contrast, the evidence that was submitted in the Shabram 
response and in comments 8 and 10 supports the original petitioners' 
contention in response to the Northern Addition petition that local 
growers as well as the wine press recognize the Fort Ross-Seaview area 
as a separate and distinct area from the Annapolis area, and that the 
``Fort Ross-Seaview'' geographical place name is commonly used by local 
growers to identify only the grape-growing region in the immediate area 
around Fort Ross and Seaview, but not the neighboring region to the 
north.
    Accordingly, TTB has determined that the name evidence provided in 
the Northern Addition petition does not substantiate the Northern 
Commenters' assertion that the ``Fort Ross-Seaview,'' ``Fort Ross,'' or 
``Seaview'' names currently apply to the Northern Addition, including 
the Annapolis area.

Boundary Line

    As described in Notice No. 34, the Shabram-Hirsch petitioned-for 
boundary line largely incorporates the hills and mountains located 
along the Pacific coast near Fort Ross and Seaview in western Sonoma 
County that are mostly above 900 feet, which generally marks the 
separation between the higher, sunnier elevations of the proposed area 
and the surrounding lower, foggier elevations.
    TTB notes that the USGS maps show a clear distinction between the 
Fort Ross-Seaview area and the Annapolis area to the north, with the 
Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River creating a natural separation of 
the lower elevations of the Northern Addition from the steep, higher 
elevation terrain of the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area. 
TTB also notes that the northernmost vineyard in the proposed Fort 
Ross-Seaview viticultural area is more than 3 miles from the closest 
vineyard in the Northern Addition, as shown on an exhibit submitted by 
the Northern Commenters. In contrast, as pointed out in the Shabram 
response, all of the vineyards within the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area are located within an approximately 10 mile stretch, 
with no vineyard more than 1.5 miles away from another vineyard.
    In addition, the evidence and comments submitted in this case 
demonstrate that there are two distinct geographical differences 
between the two areas that affect the proposed boundary line and 
suggest that they should be considered separate regions: (1) Distance 
from the Pacific coastline; and (2) elevation. Most locations within 
the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area are located only 0.5 
to 2.5 miles from the Pacific coastline, whereas most locations within 
the Northern Addition are located 4 to 6 miles from the coastline, as 
shown on USGS maps. The elevation of the vineyards in the two areas is 
also significantly different; vineyards in the Fort Ross-Seaview area 
are generally located at elevations between 920 to 1,800 feet, which 
are above the coastal fog according to local growers and the Shabram-
Hirsch petition, as compared to the lower 560- to 890-foot elevations 
of vineyards in the Northern Addition, which are more influenced by the 
marine fog.
    Finally, TTB notes that the separate identities of the Fort Ross-
Seaview and the Northern Addition (or Annapolis) areas have been 
recognized in recent newspaper articles and wine magazines. As noted 
above, the Shabram response and comments 8 and 10 cite to multiple 
articles that refer to the two regions as separate areas and describe 
their different grape-growing conditions, which further highlights the 
distinction between the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area 
and the Annapolis area to the north.
    TTB thus finds that the boundary line for the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area should not include the Annapolis area to the 
north.

[[Page 77693]]

Distinguishing Features

    In Notice No. 34, the climate, topography, and soils of the 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area were identified as the 
area's distinguishing features. In the Northern Addition petition, the 
Northern Commenters contend that these same distinctive features are 
shared by the Northern Addition area, thus warranting a modification of 
the proposed boundary line to include the Northern Addition. More 
specifically, the Northern Addition petition asserts that both the 
proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area and the Northern Addition 
have a Coastal Cool climate and similar soil types, which is not 
challenged in the Shabram response.
    Based on the Shabram-Hirsch petition, the Northern Addition 
petition, the Shabram response, and the public comments, TTB finds that 
there are some similarities in the soil, topography, and growing season 
climate of the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area and the 
Northern Addition. As discussed below, however, given that both areas 
are wholly contained within two larger existing viticultural areas--the 
North Coast and Sonoma Coast viticultural areas--some general 
similarities in distinguishing features can be expected, especially in 
regard to the regional climate because both the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area and the Northern Addition have a Coastal Cool 
climate, which is a distinguishing feature of the surrounding Sonoma 
Coast viticultural area according to T.D. ATF-253. In addition, as 
noted in the Shabram response, an expansion of the proposed Fort Ross-
Seaview viticultural area based on the general grounds stated in the 
Northern Addition petition could warrant the inclusion of other nearby 
coastal areas with broadly similar features. Accordingly, the general 
regional similarities described in the Northern Addition petition would 
not necessarily preclude a finding that the microclimate and specific 
topography of a particular area (such as the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area) are sufficiently distinct from those of the adjacent 
areas as to warrant its recognition as a distinct viticultural area.
    While conceding that there are some broad similarities in the 
climate and topography between the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview 
viticultural area and the Northern Addition, the Shabram-Hirsch 
petition, the Shabram response, and the supporting comments also assert